


Briar of Bree

by charliechick117



Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 14:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charliechick117/pseuds/charliechick117
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The stop in Bree was unexpected but not unwanted.  Yet Gandalf has something more in mind than a simple pick-me-up and rest at the inn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Briar of Bree

**Author's Note:**

> This is about the typical fifteenth female companion of Thorin and Co. I couldn't resist.

The stop in Bree was unexpected. They had a schedule to keep after all, but Bombur was complaining about needing a few more supplies (something about herbs he kept saying) while Fili and Kili were begging to stay in a bed, just one more night. Bree was close to Hobbiton, close enough that stopping by seemed almost natural.

"Why not go to the inn?" Bilbo asked as Gandalf knocked on a seemingly random door.

"Because I have a good feeling about this house," Gandalf said. "And you never ignore good feelings."

"You think they'd open the door a bit faster," groused Bofur. "If we wait much longer we'll all be sick to the bone from the chill."

The rain had been coming down for days and the dwarves were all soaked. Riding on a pony was difficult enough, but doing so in the pouring rain, with no shelter (or fire) for two days, had them all at their wits end. A bit of homely comforts would be a blessing. Which brought back the question to why Gandalf was knocking on a random door instead of going to the inn.

"I'm sure whoever is inside wasn't expecting company," Gandalf reasoned. "Not unlike Mister Baggins."

"Maybe they'll do the smart thing and not answer," muttered Bilbo.

At that moment, however, the door swung open to reveal a very tired, very female, hobbit. Her dark curls were all around her shoulder and she was in a bathrobe rubbing at her eyes.

"Who's calling at such an hour?" she yawned, tugging her robe closer and squinting at the gathering. "Go to the inn."

"Excuse me, miss," Gandalf knelt over, trying to be as charming as possible. "I'm here with fourteen companions who are in need of some shelter and a bit of food, if you could spare it."

"And why aren't you going to the inn?" she asked, looking dubiously at the company.

"I liked the color of your house," Gandalf said. "Now, dinner, if you please."

"What makes you think I've got enough for all of you?" she stood up a bit straighter, eyes narrowed defensively.

"You're a hobbit, are you not?" Gandalf reasoned.

The dwarves and Bilbo all did their very best to look tired and weak and hungry. Bofur and Kili peered around the door, putting on their very best sad faces. The hobbit woman looked at the two of them, then at the others, shivering and sniffling in the rain, and her face softened slightly.

"Oh, very well," she sighed, opening the door wider. "In you get."

As they crowded in, Gandalf introduced the dwarves, himself, and Bilbo. She took it all in stride, tossing out food and dishes and not holding back any of her disdain. The only thing they knew about her was her name. Briar. She complained about the mud on her floor and the water on her carpet. She bemoaned the state of her cabinets and her dishes as the dwarves made themselves comfortable. Only Bilbo seemed genuinely sorry about the whole affair, remembering his own kitchen not too long ago.

Soon, her dining room was filled to bursting and the tables were groaning under the load of thirteen dwarves, one hobbit and one wizard. The second hobbit, who had changed into something more suitable, was standing near, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I have been more than gracious to my unexpected guests," she said. "Now tell me, what brings thirteen dwarves to Bree? In the company of Gandalf no less?"

"We are on a quest," Thorin said, glancing at Gandalf. "To take back the dwarf kingdom of Erebor."

"That is not possible," Briar sat down. "Erebor and Dale were overrun by Smaug. There is no hope left to take back the kingdom."

The dwarves all stopped to look at Briar with wonder. She didn't even flinch.

"How could you know of the fall of Erebor?" Thorin asked. "I do not recall any halflings there."

"Word of a dragon travels far," Briar said. "The fate of Dale reached many human ears; one of them being the King of the Golden Hall."

"You know of Rohan?" Gandalf interrupted Thorin. "How?"

"I work at the Prancing Pony," Briar said. "A few fair messengers from Rohan has come. Few pints of ale loosens their tongues quickly enough. They love to tell the story of the great dragon." She stared pointedly at Fili, who was sharpening his knives at her table and he stopped. "I thought I'd go for a bit of an adventure and travelled with a messenger. Only made it to Rivendell before I got homesick."

"Then what are you doing here?" Thorin asked.

"Came back, didn't I?" Briar said, sassily.

"All by yourself?" Bilbo looked at her with wonder.

"I wasn't completely helpless," Briar shrugged. "The elves taught me to protect myself, at least a little. They told me the roads won't always be so safe. So I traveled to back here, back home."

"Orcs roam these lands," Thorin said. "It isn't safe to travel alone, not without immense skill."

"Then why are you going?" Briar asked. "More so, why are you taking Mister Bilbo with you? The wild is no place for a hobbit."

"He's our burglar!" Fili cheered, patting Bilbo on the back. "He's going to help us chase out the dragon and reclaim Erebor!"

This statement was met with cheers and roaring applause. Briar poured herself a mug of ale and sipped it slowly, her eyes danced over each dwarf.

"Until you are ready," she started to speak, and the others instantly fell quiet. "Until you are ready to make the journey... you are welcome to stay here."

"Thank you," Thorin said, "for your hospitality, but we will move on in the morning."

"You don't have to," Briar said, taking a large gulp of ale for courage. "You don't have to go to Erebor. I could... I could find you houses here, in Bree. You could stay here and make a life and home here, where it's safe, in the west."

"No," Thorin shook his head. "Erebor is my home and it was taken from me. I intend to take it back."

"It's dangerous!"

"So was going to Rivendell with a stranger," Gandalf interjected quietly.

Briar fell silent. Thorin glanced at his company, even little Bilbo, and gave a nod. In unison, they rose and gathered the dishes, graciously taking them to the sink to be washed.

"Now, tell us," Kili came up to Briar. "What did the elves teach you?"

"How to keep myself safe," Briar looked up to see Kili and Fili's faces close to hers. "Why?"

"We're curious how well they could teach a hobbit woman," Fili said, drawing a sword and handing it to her. "Or if they taught her anything."

Briar took the sword in her hand, the heavy weight familiar and almost comforting. She gave it a few swings and stood up, holding it aloft.

"And I suppose you want to try first hand?" she guessed.

"Without a doubt," Fili said, charging forward.

Without any shred of grace or finesse, Briar blocked the blow. She blocked again, the force of Fili's attack leaving her exposed. He came in once more and Briar barely had time to lift her sword. With great effort, she blocked the blow and slammed her elbow as hard as she could into his stomach.

Fili fell over, hand on his belly, overstuffed with dinner and aching with Briar's elbow.

"My turn," Kili said before coming at her.

Briar, already weary, blocked each of Kili's attacks. She caught Kili's sword with hers and kicked him hard between the legs. Whimpering, Kili fell beside his brother, who was staving off the giggles.

Throwing her hair back, Briar dropped the sword and fell into a chair, trying to catch her breath. The dwarves looked on in complete silence, all of them floored. Ori was scribbling in his book, Bombur's mouth was open, and Oin had dropped his earpiece.

"Well, I'll be," Bofur broke the silence. Bifur pointed to her and made a few signs with his hands. Bofur laughed and agreed with his cousin, the two of them falling into mutters and chuckles.

"You fight well," Thorin said, nodding his approval. "Better than Master Baggins can, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Briar said. "I do believe I need a breather though. I'll be on my porch if you need me."

Stumbling slightly, Briar picked her way over the fallen brothers and out into the rainy night. As soon as the door slammed shut, the dwarves started talking to each other in hushed whispers. Dwalin came up to Thorin and Gandalf.

"I say we lose Bilbo and take her as our burglar," Dwalin said. "She can fight at least. She has all the hobbit qualifications. Why not her?"

"Because I have chosen Bilbo," Gandalf said simply. "While I do not doubt that Miss Briar would make an excellent companion, Bilbo is your burglar."

"She is wasted here," Dwalin pushed. "Why not bring her along anyway? She'd prove handy in a tight spot or two."

"So you want to increase our number to fifteen?" Thorin said. "If this company grew any more, we might as well go knocking on the door to Erebor with an army."

"I agree with Dwalin," Bofur put in. "She'd be good to have along."

"Gandalf, what do you think?" Thorin turned to the wizard.

"This is your company, Thorin," Gandalf said. "If you with to bring Briar along with you, then I will support you in that endeavor."

"Would you bring her?" Thorin asked.

"I believe she was born to travel," Gandalf said slowly. "It is unheard of hobbits beyond Bree. To find her, one who traveled to Rivendell and back, is most unusual. I do believe she is an adventurer, whether she believes it or not."

"I say bring her," Fili suggested from the ground. "She'd be good to train with."

"Want to get beaten again?" Thorin gave a gentle smile.

"Ultimately, you will have to ask her," Gandalf said. "You cannot assume she will come running from her home without a second thought."

"I'll speak with her," Balin offered, standing up. "The rest of you lads will scare her off."

"Not bloody likely!" Ori called from the kitchen.

Balin smiled and stepped outside to talk to Briar. She was sitting on a bench under the awning, watching the rain fall, feet tucked under her, chin atop her knees. She looked deep in thought, her dark curly hair pinned behind her head.

"Hello, Briar," Balin sat beside her.

"Hello," she turned to face him. "Balin, right?"

"That's me," Balin smiled. "Thank you, for letting us stay."

"Speaking as a traveler, I understand the need," she smiled.

"There is... a delicate matter I wish to speak with you," Balin said.

"Then speak," Briar let her feet fall to the ground.

"The lads in there seem to believe you are meant to travel alongside us," Balin said.

"No," Briar said instantly, turning away. "I will not travel anywhere anymore. This... this is my home and I have worked hard to make it. I travelled far to make this my home and I don't want to leave it, not again."

"But, lass, you are handy with a sword," Balin tried.

"To defend myself coming home," Briar exclaimed. "After going to Rivendell, I learned something of myself; I want to live a peaceful life and have a home to come to every night." She paused and looked at Balin. "When I was taught, by the elves, to defend myself, they told me about something I was born with."

"What's that?"

"There is one thing you cannot teach, when it comes to weaponry. You can teach all the skill and technique in all of Middle Earth, but you cannot teach instinct. Those split second decisions that decide whether you live or die. I was born with it. I was born with a fighting nature, with an adventurer's soul."

"Then you are meant to come with us," Balin insisted. "You have the heart, the drive, to come with us."

"I don't want to," Briar stepped out into the rain. "I've never wanted to. I've never wanted this heart or soul. I want to leave my days out in peace and serenity, not be whisked about from danger to danger with a bunch of dwarves!"

"Perhaps it is your fate to be whisked about with dwarves," Balin said softly. "Just think about it, lass. We'll be inside waiting."

Briar stood in the darkness, the rain soaking through all the layers of her clothes and reaching her very bones. With a violent shiver she ran inside, her mind all a muddle. Her thick hair was in front of her face and she wrapped her arms around her body.

"What in the blazes did you think you were doing standing in the rain?" Dwalin came up to her, bringing his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders.

"I was thinking," Briar said, pulling the coat closer.

"What were you thinking about?" Bofur asked.

"Whether or not to join you," Briar said, sitting down.

"Do you want something warm to drink?" Dori came up to her. "I've got some chamomile tea for you."

"Thank you," Briar took the teacup in her hand. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to sleep. Help yourself to whatever you need. I will see you in the morning."

She dropped Dwalin's coat on the ground, grabbed her tea with both hands and went to her bedroom, trailing water all the way.

"She is a peculiar hobbit," Bilbo said as she walked away. "I've never seen anything like that."

"She's a fighter, that's what she is," Dwalin grinned. "An adventurer lies inside her. It's dormant, but I can see the potential lying in wait."

"And you're not worried about having to protect her?" Dori said. "Isn't that right?"

"I'm not worried," Kili said, limping towards the rest, leaning on Fili's shoulder. "She can defend herself."

"But would this young hobbit lass be fit for our adventure?" Balin asked. "She may have travelled to and from Rivendell, but that was many years ago, before orcs began roaming the lands freely."

"We'll look out for her," Fili said, standing straight. "Kili and I can."

"It seems we are set to welcome Briar into our company," Thorin said. "But we have yet heard word from her."

"Let her think about it," Gandalf said. "I do believe that we were meant to find her. There is a reason we were drawn to this door in Bree."

"So you think she's supposed to come with us," Bilbo surmised. "Do you think she'll just wake up in the morning and decided to come along?"

"You did," Gandalf turned to Bilbo with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, well, I'm the burglar, aren't I?"

"It's no use talking about it now," Thorin said. "We leave in the morning. If she comes, then she comes. If not, then we go without her."

\----

Briar woke suddenly in the morning. One moment she was asleep, the next she was wide-awake. It was a trick she learned while travelling. If you woke up too slowly, then chances are you'd be dead before you could blink.

Bilbo was standing in her doorway.

"I am so terribly sorry," he said. "I just... I wanted to speak with you before the dwarves came charging in, asking if you were going to come with."

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"For completely selfish reasons, I want you to come along this adventure," Bilbo said. "I don't want to be the only hobbit in this company. Even though you've never set foot in the Shire, you are a hobbit. There are certain things that you'll understand that the dwarves won't and I want that, from you."

"You're asking me to be your... companion," Briar said slowly. "Is that it?"

"Yes, I am," Bilbo nodded. "We're both getting wrapped up into things too big for us. Might as well do it together, eh?"

"I suppose so," Briar smiled. "Let me pack my bag and I'll be on the road with you in a moment."

"Fantastic," Bilbo smiled. "I'll go tell Thorin."

And so, mere hours later, Briar was on her own pony, pack heavy on her shoulders, riding between Bofur and Bilbo on the long road to Erebor.

"Don't worry, Briar," Bofur assured her, "we'll keep a close eye on you."

"I'm not worried," Briar said, giving a shrug.

They rode most of the day, stopping at a likely looking campsite. It was on the cliffside, no chance of an ambush. It had been a long time since Briar had slept out in the open, but knowing that there were thirteen dwarves between her and death made it feel that much safer, even if she was defenseless.

She rolled out her bedroll by the fire, ate the stew that Bofur had made, and fell onto her back, counting the stars and picking out constellations. She felt more than saw Bilbo move towards the ponies. For all his dislike of ponies, he'd grown quite fond of Myrtle.

A screech echoed in the air and Briar was up in an instant. She sat up straight, her heart pounding. Following the screech was the unmistakable sound of a howling wolf. Her blood ran cold.

"What was that?" Bilbo came up to Fili and Kili who were on first watch.

"Orcs," Kili said, naming the fear that Briar didn't want to voice herself.

"Orcs?" Bilbo repeated.

Briar shut off her ears, focusing instead on the pounding of her heart, ignoring Fili and Kili talking about an orc raid. They chuckled, amused with themselves at scaring Bilbo, and Thorin scolded them. Briar turned to give the brothers a piece of her mind for scaring Bilbo, but Balin came up and offered a story instead.

It was a great story, one of Thror, Thorin's grandfather, leading a charge to reclaim Moria as their own. How he was behead by a pale orc, Azog the Defiler, one who swore to destroy the line of Durin. The act pushed Thrain, Thorin's father, to madness, but Thorin fought back. Briar could practically see it in her mind. A young dwarf prince, facing down the pale orc, with nothing more than an oak branch for a shield and a borrowed sword to throw down Azog. Rallied, the dwarves took Moria back. Briar was going to cheer for their victory, but stopped at the look on Balin's face.

"There were no feasts, no song that night," he said, "for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then; there is one I could follow. There is one I could call King."

Briar and Bilbo turned to see that the rest of the company had awoken and they were all looking at Thorin. Briar knew, having been a part of this company for only a day, that these dwarves would follow Thorin, no matter where he took them. Surprisingly, Briar found that she would do the same.

\----

Days later, with no other incident and no other news from the orc noises they heard and nothing but rain on their journey, Briar felt that they were making good progress on their journey. She'd grown comfortable with her pony, Daisy, and enjoyed talking with Fili and Kili. They were rascals and bright with youth and arrogance, and Briar found their company to be relaxing.

They stopped early to make camp, nothing but a burnt down home and a few bits of overgrown garden with the sun still high in the air.

Thorin gave orders to make camp and spoke with Gandalf in heated whispers. Briar tipped her head at them, but paid no mind, not even when the wizard stormed out. Instead, she stole a sword from Kili and hid in the trees, giving a few practice swings. It had been months since she last trained and she was out of practice and out of shape. In fact, she was surprised she managed to fend off Fili and Kili at her house.

Instincts, Briar remembered. She had fighting instinct.

She practiced until the sun went down, then quietly made her way back to camp, hiding the sword under her coat and stretching her aching arms.

"Supper's up," Bofur called. "Bilbo, do us a favor, give this to the lads."

Bilbo took the two bowls and went to Fili and Kili. Briar took her own bowl of soup and sat down next to Ori, looking at the pages in his book.

"This your journal, then?" she asked, taking a healthy bite of food.

"Yeah," Ori said. "I always believe it's important to document events."

"It is important," Dori said, sitting next to his brother. "Ori has the artist’s hand. He'll give our tale its worth in gold."

"I'm sure he will," Briar smiled, digging into her soup.

They ate together in silence, occasionally offering a joke or tossing bits of food at each other. Briar laughed and shouted with the best of them, wondering vaguely what was taking Bilbo so long. Bofur was about to tell her something, a story of some sort, when Fili and Kili burst in through the trees.

"Trolls!" they said. "Trolls have taken our ponies and Bilbo!"

Briar felt something cold in her chest. "Trolls?"

"Big ones!" Kili exclaimed, eyes bright. "Come on then, we've got to get our burglar!"

The fourteen of them crept through the forest, Briar's heart beating like a rabbit. Fili patted her on the back and gave a cocksure grin. The plan was for Kili to run forward, get the trolls’ attention, and then full speed ahead. What could possibly go wrong?

Briar held the stolen sword in her hands; it was heavy and a slight bit awkward, built for a dwarf, not a hobbit. When the signal came, the dwarves ran forward shouting, and Briar followed their lead. She stayed as close to another dwarf as she could, knowing that on her own she'd be lost.

She stabbed and swung, but only when there was a safe and clear opening. She watched as the dwarves fought in relative unison, moving smoothing together in their effort to take down these trolls. Here she was, trying valiantly to remember her training, only to come up short and her hair wouldn't stay out of her face.

"Come on, lassie! You're better than that!" Dwalin shouted from across the campsite.

 _But I'm not_ , is all Briar could think at the moment. She didn't have time to confirm or deny Dwalin's statement, as Bilbo managed to get captured, yet again. With a heavy heart, she threw down her sword and allowed the trolls to tie them up in bags.

With half of them tied up and half of them roasting over the fire, Briar was feeling decidedly upset with this turn of events. This was exactly why she never wanted to leave her hobbit house. The world was too big and too dangerous for small hobbits. Even as the thought passed her head, she felt the distinct swell of adrenaline in her blood and knew that she'd have come anyway.

The trolls were talking about how to cook the dwarves. Squashing them into jelly, roasting them over a spit, sauteing them, the list went on.

"Never mind the seasoning, we don't have all night," one troll said. "Dawn ain't far away and I don't fancy being turned to stone."

Briar's ears perked up and she glanced at Bilbo, raising her eyebrows. He nodded and hopped up, catching the attention of the trolls.

"Wait!" Bilbo said quickly. "You are making a terrible mistake!"

"You can't reason with them!" Dori shouted from the fire. "They're halfwits!"

"Halfwits?" Bofur repeated. "What does that make us?!"

"I meant with the… uh… with the seasoning," Bilbo said.

"What about the seasoning?" another troll asked slowly, the one in the apron.

"Have you smelt them?" Bilbo leaned forward conspiratorially. "You're gonna need a lot more than sage before you plate this lot up."

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" a different troll asked, suspicious.

"Shut up," the troll-in-the-apron said. "Let the burgl-hobbit talk."

"The secret to cooking dwarf is um…" Bilbo looked around for help.

"Yes, the secret. Tell us the secret."

"Yes, I'm telling you the secret. It is... to... um... to..."

"Skin them first!" Briar exclaimed, hopping on her feet next to Bilbo, giving him a small smile. "You always skin dwarves before you eat them."

That was met with outraging roars from the dwarves. Gloin and Dwalin were giving both hobbits the evil eye. Briar and Bilbo glanced at each other and then back at the trolls.

"What a load of rubbish," the other troll said. "I've eaten plenty with their skins on!"

"He's right," the third troll agreed. "Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf, nice and crunchy."

To prove his point, the troll reached for Bombur, lifting him up to his mouth.

"You don't want to eat that one!" Briar shouted quickly.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?" Briar turned to Bilbo. "T-tell the trolls why they can't eat him."

"He's... infected!" Bilbo said, as the troll dropped Bombur with disgust. "He's got worms in his... tubes..."

"In fact they all do!" Briar tacked on, ignoring the shouts coming from all the dwarves. "They're riddled with parasites, it's a terrible business. I wouldn't risk it if I were you."

They dwarves shouted protests, claiming they didn't have any infection or parasites. One such was Kili's "we don't have parasites! You have parasites!" that he shouted. Briar and Bilbo looked at each other and groaned, rolling their eyes. There was a thump as Thorin kicked the dwarves.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm," Oin said slowly.

"Mine are the biggest parasites!" Kili shouted. "I've got huge parasites!"

At least they weren't that dull. Briar looked up at the sky gently turning pink and felt a glimmer of hope in her chest. She bumped Bilbo and they played for a little more time, just enough for Gandalf to show up and bring the sunlight onto the trolls, turning them to stone.

"Excellent work, Mister Bilbo," Briar said, shimmying from her bag.

"And to you, Miss Briar," Bilbo bowed to her.

The trolls couldn't be living out in the open during the day, they must have a cave somewhere. Gandalf in the lead, they managed to find it. It was dug deep into the ground, flies buzzing all around and the stench of death overpowering. Briar and Bilbo waited outside with a few others, not daring to go inside.

"That was quick thinking on both your parts," Balin came up to the hobbits. "Truly a burglar worth having, the both of you."

"Thank you," they said in unison.

"What do you suppose is in the cave?" Ori asked, peering around the corner.

"Don't you be looking," Dori pushed him away. "Whatever is in there is certain to be covered with the trolls’ foul stench."

"Imagine the gold and treasure that could be there," Kili grinned.

"I'll pass on that one," Briar said, pushing her hair from her face with a sigh.

From the cave came Thorin, Gloin, Nori and Bofur, followed by Gandalf. The wizard was carrying three swords. He held out two small swords and called the hobbits to him.

"Briar, Bilbo, these are about your size," he held them out.

Briar grinned, her inner adventurer jumping for joy. She pulled it from the sheath and stepped away, examining the blade closely.

"This is of elfish make," Briar held it to the sun. "Won't it glow blue if goblins or orcs are near?" She turned to Gandalf.

"Yes, it will," Gandalf said. "It looks to be the sister sword of Bilbo's. May the two of you wield them well, to the end of your days."

"I've never killed anyone in my life," Bilbo said, taking the sword gingerly.

"And I hope you never have to," Gandalf knelt down. "But if you do, remember this. Both of you. True courage is knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

Briar and Bilbo glanced at each other, neither sure what Gandalf meant by that. Briar tied her sword around her waist and Bilbo pulled his out, looking at the metalwork in awe.

Fili and Kili came over and they said someone was coming. The dwarves held up their weapons, faces set. Briar stood by them, her new sword held high if shaking. Something rushed through the trees, knocking through the bushes.

From the trees burst a wizard, a brown one, on a sled pulled by rabbits.

"Radagast," Gandalf greeted him.

Content that the danger was over, for now, Briar sheathed her sword and waited for Gandalf and Radagast to do their talking. Fili and Kili scouted around and she was left with Bofur for company.

"Wizards," Bofur said. "I'm sure they do lots of good for the world, but I've yet to see any myself."

"Gandalf brought the sunlight to turn the trolls to stone," Briar pointed out, smiling at the dwarf.

"Fair enough," Bofur nodded, smiling in return.

Almost as soon as Gandalf had finished talking with Radagast, wargs came upon them. Even Briar knew this- where wargs go, orcs would not be far behind. They were trapped and had nowhere to go, their ponies having bolted as soon as they could. Radagast offered to be a distraction, allowing the company to escape.

Gandalf led them across the open fields, keeping an eye on the orcs that were chasing Radagast. More than once, Ori had to be held back from running too far. Kili was in front of Briar and Fili behind, keeping their promise to look after the young hobbit woman.

They ran from rock to rock, hiding in the shadows. Briar could hear the wargs roar and the orcs growl as they chased Radagast, as they searched for their company.

Pressed against a heavy rock, she felt Kili look up. She glanced up and saw a warg and its rider atop the rock. Her blood ran cold and she couldn't stop the tiniest whimper escaping her throat. She had seen paintings of wolves, but these wargs were feline with yellow teeth grinning and golden eyes searching. Kili pulled an arrow out, jumped from the shelter, and shot the warg dead, but not the orc.

The other dwarves jumped on top of the orc, beating it to death, but the wails had already traveled to the rest of the scouting party. Briar's heart sank as the company ran forward again, following Gandalf. They came to another outcropping of rocks and turned to see the orcs circling for the kill.

"Kili!" Thorin shouted. "Shoot them!"

"We're surrounded!" Fili said.

They turned back to see that Gandalf had disappeared. Why was a wizard never around when you needed him the most? Briar pulled out her sword and stood beside Bilbo, her hands quivering, blowing hair from her face.

"I thought you were an adventurer," Bilbo accused.

"I traveled and learned to fight," Briar corrected. "I've never been attacked once in my life."

"First time for everything," Bilbo said.

Gandalf's booming voice echoed over the company and they turned to see that Gandalf hadn't abandoned them, just brought them to a small ravine.

"This way, you fools!"

Briar didn't need telling twice. She pushed Bofur into the small crack, then Bilbo and Balin, then Gloin. Thorin stood next to her, his sword shining in the light as he cut down any who came too close to the crevice. Briar pushed in Ori next, with Dori, Oin and Nori. Bifur, Dwalin and Bombur were next, leaving her, Thorin, Fili and Kili.

"Thorin!" Briar shouted. "In here!"

She and Fili jumped in together and Kili followed soon after. Finally, with Thorin in, they were safe. Another horn echoed across the land, but this was no orc horn. Briar couldn't tell you what race could have blown that horn, but she knew that they were slaughtering the orcs even as the company hid.

One orc body fell at their feet, an arrow protruding from its neck. Thorin bent and pulled the arrow out, examining the head.

"Elves," he muttered, giving Gandalf an evil look.

"I cannot see where the pathway goes," Dwalin announced. "Do we follow it or no?"

"Follow it, of course!" Bofur exclaimed, rushing forward.

The ravine was narrow and they could only walk single file, occasionally having to push Bombur through some of the smaller openings. The only light was from the narrow strip of sky at the top and the rocks grabbed at their clothes. They walked until the ravine opened up to a small ledge, a river trickling down, opening to a magnificent clearing.

That isn't what took Briar's breath away, it was the buildings in the clearing that caught her breath. She had been here before, but that was ages ago, yet nothing has changed.

"The Valley of Imladris," Gandalf said. "In the common tongue it's known by another name."

"Rivendell," Bilbo breathed.

"Her lies the last homely house east of the sea."

Thorin, with fury in his eyes, took Gandalf aside. Bilbo leaned in curiously, but Briar paid no mind. She was already picking a trail down the slope her face alight with joy.

The dwarves were unconvinced as they followed Gandalf into Rivendell. Briar was well ahead of them, practically skipping down to the gate, ignoring the calls of Gandalf for her to wait.

At the gate, Briar waited for the rest of the company to join her. She whispered to Bilbo all the pleasantries that Rivendell offered. He seemed to grow peaceful at her words. In a few short moments, they were greeted by Lindir. He greeted Gandalf with warmth then glanced over Briar, his eyes widening with recognition.

"Miss Briar," he said, looking down at her with fondness. "I thought you had gone back to your home for good."

"Dwarves can be very persuasive," she replied, bowing slightly. "Where is Lord Elrond?"

"My Lord Elrond is not here at the moment," Lindir said.

"Where is he then?" Gandalf asked.

The horn sounded again and Briar recognized it as the horn that saved them from the orcs. An elf war-horn. She turned around and saw a company of elves ride into Rivendell, their armor glinting in the setting sun and banners high.

Thorin shouted and the dwarves tightened themselves into a circle, Bofur pulling Bilbo at the center, weapons drawn. Fili and Kili dragged Briar between them, guarding her. The elves circled them on their horses three times before stopping in front of Gandalf. From the lead horse rode none other than Lord Elrond. He dismounted and told Gandalf of his campaign against the orcs. He turned and noticed, for the first time, the thirteen dwarves and two hobbits.

"Lord Elrond," Briar said, pushing herself free of the dwarves. "It has been a long time, perhaps you don't remember me."

"Little Briar," Elrond smiled, holding his arms out and smiling. "I could never forget you. Our little hobbit from the West with a fighter’s instinct."

He turned and spoke to Thorin. He spoke in elfish then, inviting the dwarves to dinner. Gloin, however, completely overreacted, but once corrected, agreed that dinner would be much welcome.

The dwarves (sans Thorin) and hobbits sat at their own table, one that was their own height. Thorin, Gandalf, and Elrond sat at another, discussing the nature of their journey and the swords they found in the troll hovel. Briar paid no mind and, instead, was explaining the merit of salad as food.

"It's good for you," she said to a distraught Ori. "It'll make you big and strong and healthy."

"I don't like green foods," Ori picked up the lettuce leaf and looked at it sadly.

"Does it make you feel like a rabbit?" Bofur picked at his own salad. "Because I feel very rabbit-ish."

Dinner went late into the night and Briar accompanied the dwarves to their room for the night. Bilbo, Thorin, and Balin went with Gandalf to speak with Elrond. In their little corner, the dwarves had changed to their sleep clothes, built a fire from the furniture and settled down to sleep safely for the first time since Bree. Fili sat near Kili, letting his brother redo the braids in his hair.

The other dwarves were also fixing their braids, laughing about it, while Bofur went searching for meat, only to return with a lone sausage. Bifur, on the other hand, was dead set on roasting lettuce.

"Pipe?" Dwalin offered one to Briar.

"Don't smoke," Briar shook her head. "I appreciate good pipe weed and love the smell, but it isn't for me."

Bofur touched his sausage, testing its warmth. A wicked glint came into his eye and he looked at his brother, perched on the table with a plate of food that he didn't approve of.

"Bombur," Bofur crooned his name, throwing the sausage as fast as he could.

Bombur caught it without so much as a blink, when an ominous creaking came from beneath him. With an almighty crash, the table shattered and Bombur fell on the ground. They all chorused in laughter and Briar held onto the railing to try and keep herself standing.

"Before bed, how about a bit of training?" Fili nudged Briar as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"I saw you shaking in your boots when the orcs came," Fili said. "Can't have that, can we?"

"I don't... wear shoes," Briar looked at her feet awkwardly.

"Oh, still," Fili shrugged. "You're a good fighter, you just don't have the nerves yet."

"And how to you propose we build my nerves?" Briar asked.

"Spar with Dwalin," Fili winked.

"No, no way," Briar backed away from Fili's smirk. "Why not teach Bilbo how to fight? Why bother with me?"

"Eh, Thorin will look out for him," Fili shrugged, coming closer to Briar.

"I agree," Kili said, standing behind Briar and holding her still. "Have a go with Dwalin. He won't hurt you."

"I'm not worried about being hurt," Briar said.

"Then what's stopping you?" Kili loomed three inches over Briar.

"Let her be, lads," Bofur said. "She said she doesn't want to, alright?"

"Ruining our fun," Kili and Fili muttered darkly, walking away from Briar and to their little corner.

"I wouldn't have hurt you," Dwalin said to Briar.

"It's not that," Briar shrugged. She turned to Bofur and smiled. "Thanks."

"Anytime lass," Bofur smiled back. "You best go to sleep. Thorin's planning on leaving in the morning."

"Should we tell Lord Elrond?" Briar asked.

"Bah," Gloin scoffed. "We don't need to tell them anything. What have the elves ever done for us?"

"They let us stay here," Briar said. "And offered us food."

Bifur made a noise of anger and held up his stalk of lettuce with a glare in his eye.

"Alright, not so much food," Briar admitted. "But they have been kind to us."

"Thorin wants to keep out adventure a secret from the others," Dwalin said.

"Very well," Briar said, pushing her hair from her face and sitting down. "No elves."

"Your hair has been bothering you, hasn't it?" Dori said, looking at Briar wisely.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Briar said lightly, ignoring her hair falling into her eyes once more.

"It's been falling in your face since we left Bree," Nori pointed out.

"What of it?"

"Normally there'd be no problem and we'd let you keep it down," Gloin said. "But since we're adventuring with orcs at our tail... your hair might cause a bit of trouble for you."

"Just tell me what's wrong with my hair," Briar exclaimed, looking at each dwarf in turn.

"The split second it takes for you to throw your hair back," Dwalin came up behind her, tugging her hair behind her head, "you'd be killed."

"And what do you propose I do about it?" Briar asked, pulling her hair free from Dwalin's hands.

The dwarves all got equal looks of joy on their faces and Briar instantly regretted saying anything.

\---

Thorin led the way back to their corner. Bilbo and Balin were talking in hushed whispers behind him. He paid no mind to them. Let the halfling learn what he could. He turned the corner to hear a loud chorus of laughter.

Sitting by the fire was Briar, arms folded and face poorly hiding a smile. Surrounding her were all eleven other dwarves, all reaching for a bit of her hair to braid. Fili and Kili were on one side, weaving beads into her hair. Dori and Nori were arguing whether Ori was doing his braid right. Oin and Gloin were trying to make her braids curl, with little success. Bofur and Bombur were doing an intricate weave in the back of her head, Bifur rapidly gesturing with his hands about how to do it better. Over them all stood Dwalin, making sure that her braids look somewhat presentable, instead of the hodgepodge it was turning into.

"What is this?" Thorin boomed.

"Briar needed to keep her hair from her face," Ori piped up, still looking at his braid with the most intensity.

"She can't fight if it's always in her eyes," Fili and Kili chimed in, giggling over their braid.

"Then one of you should be braiding, not all," Thorin sighed. "She won't be able to walk properly at this rate."

The dwarves all backed away, leaving Briar alone, her hair in a jumble of braids and beads. Bilbo and Balin moved towards the rest and slowly, the soft roar of conversation filled the air again. Briar reached up and touched her overly braided hair.

"I'll fix it," Thorin said, sitting behind her. "They were... eager to braid."

"I hadn't noticed," Briar said sarcastically.

"It's a tradition, before battle or before travel, to braid one another's hair," Thorin said, unbraiding her hair and running his fingers through it. "It is a way to show companionship and camaraderie."

"Shouldn't I return the favor then?" Briar asked.

"Trust me, little hobbit, it's best you don't," Thorin told her. "You can't just weave any braid into someone's hair. You might accidentally start courting one of the company, or give them a higher status than they are allowed."

"All that from a bunch of braids?"

Thorin didn't answer, but set to braiding her hair. Briar had the typical hobbit hair; thick and curly. It would hold many braids well. Thorin braided a thick plait down the back of her head, one that would keep most of her hair from her face. He then did two others, small, down each side of her face, less practical and more ornamental. He laced a single bead in each. He didn't tell her that those braids, the three of them, marked her as a companion to Thorin himself. They were the very same braids Fili wore, the same that Kili would someday have.

"A true warrior of the company," Thorin said, patting her shoulders. He stood up and addressed the rest of the company. "Tomorrow we leave. I suggest you get your rest now. Despite my mistrust of the elves, we will set no watch. I want us all to be as well rested as we can."

The company nodded and set to sleep. The fire flickered out and died, and Thorin watched Briar sneak away.

\---

When she was certain the dwarves and Bilbo were all asleep, Briar escaped their corner and ran through Rivendell, her bare feet going pitter-pat on the tile floor. Her hair stayed out of her face, by some miracle, and she turned the corner, searching for Lord Elrond. She had to speak with him before leaving.

Instead of finding him, however, she ran into Lindir.

"Miss Briar, what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for Lord Elrond," she bowed her head. "Could I speak with him for a moment?"

"I'm afraid not, dear one. He's in a meeting at the moment. I do not know how long it will last."

"Oh..."

"What's on your mind, that you need to speak with him?" Lindir asked.

"I'm curious about my place in this adventure," Briar said honestly. "I don't fit in among the dwarves, much less among Bilbo. I'm not really a hobbit, not really an adventurer. I'm not really... anything."

"You seem to fit in more than you think," Lindir gestured to her braids.

"As part of the company," Briar said. "I'm still no adventurer, nor a homely hobbit."

"Perhaps you will find yourself as you travel," Lindir said. "I believe there is a greatness in store for you, Briar. It is best not to dwell on things that you cannot answer. And despite your excellent escape, I'm afraid you did not go unnoticed."

With a smallest of smiles, Briar trotted back to their little corner, finding that Bofur was awake, fingering his flute and staring at the skies.

"And where were you?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Briar popped up next to him.

"So should you," Bofur countered.

"I went for a walk, if you must know," Briar said. "I was hoping to catch Lord Elrond, but he's apparently busy."

"Then where were you?"

"With Lindir," Briar said. "I needed some... well... advice I suppose."

"Did you get it?"

"I suppose I did."

"Then get to sleeping," Bofur laid down. "Big day tomorrow."

Briar agreed and curled up next to Bofur, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"Feeling a wee bit cuddly tonight, lass?" Bofur laughed.

"I was told that I would find myself on this quest, that there was greatness in store for me," Briar said, muffling her voice into her blanket.

"And I believe there is," Bofur nudged her gently.

"Maybe I don't want there to be," Briar sighed.

"Come on, don't think like that. You're our girl now and we'll look after you. You and Bilbo. You're part of the company. Your braids are enough evidence of that."

"We'll see if you'll be singing that tune when we're lost in the wilderness."

\----

Briar and Bofur got an earful in the morning when the company saw them snuggled up in blankets. Fili and Kili were beside themselves with teasing Briar as they snuck out of Rivendell, which was nothing compared to the talking to that Briar got from Thorin.

"We are on a quest for Erebor, not on some kind of honeymoon or hobbit walking party. If you distract any member of this company then I will abandon you on a mountainside."

"Simple creature comforts," Briar defended herself. "Perhaps next time I'll cuddle on your shoulder, Thorin Oakenshield? After all, these braids are the doing of your hands."

They walked across mountains and forded rivers. They walked and Briar's legs grew sore. She learned how to fend for herself in the mountains, how to start a fire from nothing, and what not to say in front of Thorin. Most importantly, she grew close to Bilbo. While the dwarves were pleasant company, always with a song or story on their lips, they didn't understand the need for home comforts. Bilbo spoke longingly of the Shire and Briar vowed that when this quest was over, she would leave Bree. The way Bilbo spoke of the rolling green hills, the flowers and gardens spilling over the fences, it sounded like peace.

It was stormy when they crossed what would be the final mountain pass. The rain was unrelenting and the mountain path was narrow. More than once, Kili had to keep Briar from falling over the edge. It was easily the worst storm she had ever been in, and Briar was regretting leaving Rivendell.

"This is no thunderstorm!" Balin shouted. "It's a thunder battle!"

"Bless me! The legends are true!" Bofur exclaimed, stepping too close to the edge. "Giants! Stone giants!"

Lightning flashed and Briar saw what Bofur said. Huge, stone giants, fighting and flinging rocks the size of cliffs at each other. The mountain side they were standing on rumbled and shook. Briar's heart sank. Not this mountain, not them.

The rocks split at Kili's feet. Briar tugged him towards her and saw that Fili was on the other side. Briar grabbed Kili's arm extra tight. She looked to see the others on her ledge clinging for dear life as their mountain moved. They were on the knees of a giant and Briar was trembling in her cloak. They hit the solid part of the mountain and dimly, she heard Thorin shouting for them to move. Pulling Kili along, Briar ran along the edge, jumping to safety.

The others were still moving around, the thunder battle growing worse and worse. With her heart in her throat, she saw as the others rammed into the mountain. Kili screamed behind her as the giant stepped back, no dwarves or Bilbo on the ledge.

They ran along the mountain, worry masking the fear that Briar had of these heights. They turned a corner to see the others, sprawled in a heap, but very much alive. Kili leaned against the mountainside, relaxed to see his brother alive.

Briar did a quick count and found something worrisome, as did Bofur.

"Bilbo! Where's Bilbo?"

The poor hobbit had fallen over the edge and was barely holding onto the ledge. She and Bofur fell onto their stomachs to reach him, a few others reaching as well. Ori almost threw himself over the edge to reach Bilbo. Thorin jumped down and lifted Bilbo up to the ledge, only to slip himself. Briar's heart stopped as she pulled Bilbo over the edge. Dwalin lifted Thorin and, together and weak, they spent a split second taking a breath.

"I thought we lost our burglar," Dwalin breathed.

"He's been lost ever since he left his home," Thorin looked down at Bilbo. "He should have never have come. He has no place amongst us."

Lucky enough, they were near a cave. It was empty, an unusual but not unwanted occurrence. Soaking wet and exhausted, Briar fell into a heap, curling underneath her blanket and trying violently not to shiver. Thorin said no on the fire. Oin noticed and knelt beside her, feeling her forehead.

"You've got a bit of a cold," he told her. "Try and get warm. You should be better in the morning."

"Thanks," she smiled, huddled deeper into the blanket and closing her eyes.

Two warm bodies encircled her. She didn't need to open her eyes to know it was Fili and Kili. They said they would protect her, keep her safe. She was their responsibility in their minds, and they wanted to keep her warm. So they curled around her and the three of them fell asleep.

"Wake up!" Thorin's voice hissed through the cavern.

Briar woke instantly, ignoring how Fili and Kili were wrapped around her. A strange sound filled the air and there were cracks appearing in the floor. This didn't look good. Briar reached for her sword and the floors fell open, dumping all fifteen of them down a hole.

They screamed and fell for what seemed like forever. The tunnel was rough and steep and Briar was bouncing between Bombur and Ori. It leveled out only to shoot them into a cage. Upside down, Bilbo landing on top of her, Briar saw small creatures running for them.

Goblins.

She rolled down until she was in the front, her sword glowing and drawn out. She only managed to kill a few goblins before they completely overtook them. Still she struggled, pushed next to Thorin, as they were pushed and prodded and dragged deeper into the mountain. All around were rickety walkways, sketchy bridges, and flaming torches. The goblins were not kind and pulled and bit and scratched as they tugged the company along.

They were brought before the king, their weapons dropped at their feet, surrounded by goblins.

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?" the king asked. "Spies? Thieves? Assassins?!"

"Dwarves, your malevolence."

"Dwarves?!"

"Found them on the front porch."

"Well. don't just stand there, search them," the king ordered. "Every crack, every crevice!"

Briar felt little hands grabbing her everywhere. The pulled at her clothes and her hair and took Oin's ear horn, stamping on it.

"What are you doing in these parts?" the king demanded.

They were silent. Briar shivered and Nori put a comforting hand on her wrist, holding her steady.

"Speak!" the king commanded.

They still said nothing.

"Very well. If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk!" the king cheered. "Bring up the Mangler! Bring up the Bone Breaker. Start with the youngest."

Ori froze and was pushed back to the center of the dwarves, all of them holding him away from the goblins.

"Wait!" Thorin stepped forward.

"Well, well, well, look who it is! " the king mocked, laughing. "Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King under the mountain. Oh, but I'm forgetting, you don’t have a mountain and you're not a king. Which makes you… nobody really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak. An old enemy of yours. A pale orc astride a white warg."

"Azog the defiler was destroyed," Thorin said. "He was slain in battle long ago"

"So you think his defiling days are done," the king smirked. He turned to the messenger nearby. "Send word to the pale orc. Tell him I have found his prize."

Then they waited while the goblins brought out the torture devices. Briar glanced at Bofur and he gave a small smile. She turned to Kili and Fili and nodded. They returned the nod and balled their hands into fists. Nori's grip on her wrist tightened and she tightened her hand into a fist. They were going to fistfight their way to their weapons if they had to.

It was an unnecessary plan, as the goblins found Thorin's sword, Orcrist, the goblin cleaver. Now the goblins were all over them, pulling and biting and scratching and whipping. Briar made an attempt to stay standing, trying her hardest to get to the weapons. A goblin got a handful of her hair and pulled her back.

She was going to scream, but the entire chamber darkened, a shockwave echoing through it. Light came back on and a tall figure walked into the center. Gandalf.

"Take up arms," he said. "Fight. Fight!"

They didn't need telling twice. Bofur got to the weapons first and was throwing them over his shoulders, everyone catching whatever they could. Briar caught her little sword, glowing bright blue, and fought.

"Follow me!" Gandalf shouted. "Quick!"

He led them through the goblin city, across rickety bridges and the entire time they were chased by goblins. There were thousands of them and Briar stuck close to whoever she could, thankful for the braids that kept her face clear. She ran by Dwalin, cutting a path through the front. She fell back with Thorin, making sure everyone got through safely. She ducked behind Kili when arrows started flying. They ran and ran and killed and killed. Briar couldn't help but puff with joy when one of the dwarves smiled at her, admiring her skill.

Gandalf broke a bolder and they pushed it ahead of them, crushing the goblins in front of them. They ran and ran, Briar between Bifur and Oin, until they came to the last bridge, only for the goblin king to jump out.

Gandalf prevailed in the end, and the goblin king was killed, but the segment of bridge they were on broke and they fell down the mountain, sliding part of the way, but ultimately falling to the very bottom. Briar and Ori screamed and held onto each other as they fell down and down.

In a gentle heap, they landed. Sighing and groaning with pain, they made to get up. Gandalf was already looking for their way out.

"Well," Bofur sighed, "that could've been worse."

Briar saw it fall. The body of the goblin king landed on top of them, crushing them completely.

"You had to open your big mouth, didn't you?" Briar groaned, easing her way out of the bridge and pulling Ori out after her.

Gandalf, noticing the horde of goblins still chasing after them, led the company down a tunnel and into blessed, blessed sunshine. The sun was setting, but the feel of sunlight on her face was more than enough to push Briar to sprint to the front, to run down the mountainside, full tilt, until they came to a respectable clearing.

After a quick headcount, they found that only one member was missing.

Bilbo.

Again.

An argument broke out about who was supposed to be watching the hobbit and where he had gone off to. Briar frantically turned around, looking for her partner in crime. Nori saw him duck away when first they were captured, but he wasn't seen since then.

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since he first stepped out from his door. We will not be seeing our hobbit again. He is long gone."

Briar felt a keen anger inside her, and she sized up Thorin and took half a step towards him.

Thankfully, she was saved from giving the lecture. Bilbo came from the trees, bruised, but very much alive, and very much real.

"Bilbo!" the company chorused, smiling at the hobbit. Briar ran up and threw her arms around him. She hadn't realized what a good friend he had become until faced with the choice of going on the quest alone. Something Briar knew now, she could never do.

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fili asked when Briar let go of Bilbo.

"What does it matter? He's back," Gandalf said.

"It matters." Thorin argued. "I want to know. Why did you come back?"

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have," Bilbo said, turning to Thorin. "And you're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss books… and my armchair and my garden. See, that's where I belong, that's home. That's why I came back. You don't have one, a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

The dwarves, Thorin especially, looked at Bilbo with awe in their eyes. Briar felt her chest grow warm with joy. She had joined the company, joined the quest, simply because it sounded like a good time. Because they believed she was meant to come, that it was her destiny. Bilbo had a noble reason, and Briar felt the slightest bit of envy for that.

An orc horn echoed over the mountain and the growling of wargs followed soon after.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered darkly.

"And into the fire, run," Gandalf finished. "Run!"

They ran, the sun setting behind the horizon, pitching them into blackness. The wargs were almost on them and the mountain led to a cliff, steep and long. They were good and trapped.

"Up, into the trees!" Gandalf said. "All of you! Climb!"

Briar turned this way and that, looking for any branches to jump on, any branch low enough would do.

"Hobbits were not meant to climb trees!" she shouted in vain, her search proving fruitless.

"Figure something out or you'll be stranded and eaten!" Gloin shouted helpfully from the trees.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and Briar felt herself being thrown into the branches, Dwalin coming up behind her. She grabbed onto the first branch in sight and climbed as high as she dared. She turned and saw that all the dwarves and Gandalf were in the trees. They were all safe except-

"Bilbo!" Briar shouted at her fellow hobbit.

He looked around the clearing in a bemused manner, noticing that everyone was in the trees but him and the wargs were coming down fast. Just in time, Bilbo was up the tree as well. Briar thought and prayed, in vain, that the trees would be enough to keep them safe.

At the head of the wargs was the pale orc himself. Time seemed to stop as he spoke to Thorin, the dwarf prince in utter disbelief. At his order, the wargs came upon them. They jumped up the trees, trying to get their feet, but they weren't made to climb.

Terror gripped Briar and she thought, maybe, they could do it. But the wargs were smart. Instead, they knocked the trees over. Briar's tree was first to fall.

They jumped to the next tree, then the tree after that and the one after that, until all sixteen of them were crowded in one lone tree at the very edge of the cliff. Briar didn't like this at all. She crouched on her branch, one arm holding the tree, the other tight in Gloin's coat.

"I don't like this at all," she said.

The wargs backed up for another attack, snarling as they inched closer and closer. They needn't hurry. The kill was waiting for them and they would take their time. Briar looked at the fall behind her. Impossibly long and no chance of survival. She turned back to the wargs. She couldn't quite decide which one she'd rather face.

Something small and fiery fell from the top of the tree. A flaming pinecone! It bounced on the ground, lighting the shrubbery on fire and scaring the wargs away. Gandalf! He dropped a few pinecones down, all of them glowing with fire, and encouraged them to light their own.

Fili dropped one to her and she hurriedly shared the flame with Gloin and with Balin. They threw them down at the wargs, sending them away. Yes! This was victory for certain! They cheered and Briar's grip on Gloin increased with her joy.

An ominous creaking noise shook the tree and, with a shuddering snap, it fell over. Barely hanging onto the cliffside, the dwarves, hobbits, and wizard, were holding on for dear life. Ori slipped, holding onto Dori's leg as he dangled over the edge.

"Hold on, Ori!" Dori shouted, slipping and grabbing a hold of Gandalf's staff."

Briar, being a small and handy hobbit, easily pulled herself up, straddling the tree carefully, so not to knock it over. She reached over to help Balin, but stopped when he looked past her, eyes growing with fear.

Thorin, Orcrist held high and his shield at the ready, was charging Azog. Briar completely forgot about helping the other dwarves and stood up on the tree, watching as Thorin was knocked down by the warg. Azog turned, wielding his mace, slamming it into Thorin's chest, knocking him over again.

Then the white warg picked him up in its powerful jaws and swung him around like a doll. The dwarves were screaming, Dwalin trying to move, and Briar took a step forward, her heart in her throat and palms slick with sweat, Thorin's name echoing in her throat.

Bilbo was next to her, a comforting presence as they watched an orc move towards Thorin, sword on his neck.

"Together, Miss Briar?" Bilbo asked, pulling his sword out.

"Together, Mister Bilbo," Briar nodded, her resolve set, her own sword in hand.

Together they ran forward, as fast as they could, to protect Thorin. Bilbo jumped on the orc, while Briar stood in between Azog and Thorin defiantly, her sword held high and true. Bilbo joined her soon, waving his sword in what he assumed to be a threatening manner.

But they were just two hobbits facing down Azog the Defiler, the one who denied death, who has been hunting Thorin since he reclaimed Moria. What could they do?

They would die defending the King under the Mountain.

A furious war cry went up, and three dwarves ran into the fray. Dwalin, Fili and Kili, fighting for all their worth, and distracting Azog just long enough that Briar could jump and land a scratch on his shoulder. It did nothing but anger him, but Briar felt it was enough. He swung at her, knocking the sword from her hand, as she fell beside Thorin. Bilbo jumped to save her, only to be knocked to the side as well. Azog came towards them, bent low over his warg.

When all her hope had faded, when Briar was certain that this was death, she heard the cry of an eagle.

Giant birds came from the sky. Huge eagles that carried the wargs off the cliff, blew flame into the orcs' eyes, and carried each dwarf to safety. Briar picked up her sword and ran to Bilbo, helping him up. She turned around and saw one great eagle gently carry Thorin away. She was so distracted she didn't see another eagle until both she and Bilbo were airborne, falling, and on the back of another.

Briar held onto Bilbo, shivering with fear and adrenaline. He held onto her just as tightly.

They flew for what felt like ages, but couldn't have been more than a day. They flew through the night and past sunrise. Thorin's limp body was like a ragdoll in the eagle's gentle claws. Briar's grip on Bilbo tightened. Had they failed? Had Thorin Oakenshield met his maker?

The eagles swooped down and they were landing. Thorin was set down first, Gandalf rushing to him the moment his feet hit rock. Briar and Bilbo were next and waited, holding each other tight, as Gandalf bent over Thorin. The other dwarves came down, circling around Thorin as the eagles flew away. Briar held her breath, still holding onto Bilbo.

Thorin blinked, his eyes opening.

"The halflings," Thorin said.

"It's alright. Bilbo and Briar are here, and quite safe."

He stood up and Briar felt a sigh of relief and slumped against Bilbo.

"What were you doing?" he turned to them both. They glanced at each other, not knowing what to say. "You nearly got yourselves killed! Did I not say, Bilbo, that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild? That you had no place amongst us?"

"Thorin, please," Briar tried to intervene.

"And Briar!" Thorin rounded on her. "Have I not made it abundantly clear where you stand in this company? That you are to not be a distraction or cause needless delays?"

Feeling about three inches tall, Briar hunched her shoulders. She didn't fail to notice the dwarves looking embarrassed and shamed on their behalf.

"I've never been so wrong in my life," Thorin's face broke into a smile.

He came forward and engulfed both hobbits into an all-encompassing hug. Unsure what to do, Briar and Bilbo hugged back, gently patting Thorin's back. Briar, feeling extremely uncomfortable, pulled back first, patting Thorin's shoulder.

"I am sorry I doubted you, both of you," he said.

"I would have doubted me too," Bilbo said.

"We're not heroes, or warriors," Briar smiled, nudging Bilbo.

"Or even a burglar," Bilbo added.

Thorin's eyes grew distant and Bilbo turned.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo said.

She turned to see what everyone was pointing at. There, far in the distance, was a tiny, lonely mountain. Erebor. It was so close and so far. Ori came up next to Briar and she put an arm around his shoulders comfortingly.

"Erebor, the Lonely Mountain," Gandalf said. "The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-Earth."

"Our home," Thorin said.

They stood in silent awe, looking at the smudge of a mountain in the distance. Ori put his head on Briar's shoulder and Dwalin put a hand on her shoulder. A small bird flew over them.

"A raven!" Oin exclaimed. "The birds are returning to the mountain."

"That, my dear Oin, is thrush," Gandalf corrected.

"We'll take it as a sign," Thorin said, looking down at Bilbo. "A good omen."

"You're right," Bilbo nodded. "I do believe the worst is behind us."


End file.
